Chapters Three, Nine, and Ten Review

I think we did an amazing job during our first class presentation. All groups covered their objectives with great success. The first presentation, which was presented by group number one—my group—talked about intercultural communication. The second presentation was about communication in groups, and the final presentation was about group leadership and problem-solving. In this blog, I will present a short summary of the content shared by all three groups during the presentation.

The first presentation was based on chapter three, which was created by group one. All content related to this chapter is about cultures and how they communicate. Culture is defined as the common beliefs and values of a group of people. Common beliefs are shaped by repeated experiences that the group has had. For example, if the group finds that a certain type of food has caused several problems for some of its members, eventually, the group will form a common thought about that food, which, with enough time, will become a belief passed on to future generations. The other fundamental part of culture is its values. Cultural values are mainly based on religion. For example, in societies whose moral codes are based on Christianity, things like violence, robbery, and lies are seen as bad, while these societies consider acts such as helping others, sacrificing yourself for the people you love, and many other things as good. All these values are based on the Christian religion. Now, intercultural communication is when two societies with considerable differences in values and beliefs interact with each other. It is important to say that the more differences there are between two cultures, the harder it becomes for them to understand each other. The number of things that cultures can differ on is astronomical. For example, their view of the individual in society. Individualistic societies focus on the individual, while collectivistic societies focus on the group itself. Another thing that different societies differ on is masculinity and femininity. In some cultures, the roles of men and women are defined by dominance and submission. In Muslim societies, women are seen as the mere property of men, and the man plays a major role in all aspects of society, while women do not. In Western societies, women can play a major role in society and are not limited by their sex, but by their individual capacity. This big difference regarding masculinity and femininity between Muslim and Western societies makes it extremely hard for them to understand each other.

The second presentation, which was made by group two, is about chapter nine, 'Communicating in Groups.' This chapter discusses how groups form, the different types of groups that exist, and many other characteristics related to social groups. First of all, what is a group? A group is defined as a number of people, typically between three and twenty, who have a sense of belonging and usually a common purpose. There are an infinite number of groups, but some play a major role in people's lives. The most important group that we all belong to is family. Family is divided into two subgroups: nuclear and extended family. A nuclear family refers to a structure where two parents live with their children, while an extended family includes variations such as living with grandparents, for example. Family plays a major role in people's lives. It can be considered the first teacher. Family teaches children their cultural beliefs and values, which will be crucial for the children in the future when they become adults.Going back to social groups, all groups tend to follow specific patterns in order to develop themselves. The first stage is forming. This stage is when the members of the group establish their goals and their roles in achieving those goals. The second stage is storming. During this stage, group members share their ideas and try to get the group to accept those ideas. The third stage is norming. In this stage, group members increase their cohesion as a group in order to achieve their goal. The fourth stage is performing. During this stage, the group focuses on productivity and problem-solving. The final stage is Adjourning and Transforming. In this final stage, the group that has successfully completed its goal decides to disband or to attempt to achieve a new goal. Conflict in groups is very common and could lead to the premature disbandment of the group. Conflict is usually caused by ideological differences, personality frictions, and many other factors

The final presentation, made by group three, is based on chapter ten, 'Group Leadership and Problem Solving.' The number one cause of small group failures can be attributed to many different factors, but it is usually associated with the group leader. Leadership is a set of communications provided by one or more members of a group to achieve a common goal. Although the leader is a very important figure in all groups, it is still just one of the many roles that members of a group can have. In order for a group to function correctly, all group roles must be performed properly. Some of the common roles in groups are: givers, who provide information and opinions to contribute to discussions; seekers, who care about the personal opinions of other members; analyzers, who evaluate the information shared in meetings to create the best path for the group’s success; and many other roles. In order for a group to function correctly, group meetings are crucial. Meetings should be prepared correctly in order to address issues of the group and to discuss the best way to fulfill the group's objective. The last thing that is crucial for a group to function properly is the problem-solving strategy. In order to solve issues, groups need to have a systematic approach. First, they need to identify the problem. Second, analyze the problem. Third, look for solutions and judge them. Finally, evaluate all possible solutions and choose the best one. Completing all matters successfully grants the group success.

Without a doubt, I consider that I have learned a lot from this presentation, and I hope the next one will be as good as this one.